The Parodia genus includes a multitude of showy and easy-to-grow small ball cacti. These are excellent beginning cacti. Ball cacti are ribbed and relatively small. It doesn't like direct sunlight and is accustomed to more water than many other cacti.
After a reorganization of the genus, the Parodia genus now includes plants that were formerly known as notocactus, eriocactus, and brasilicactus. Parodia is native to central South America, where they enjoy somewhat more moisture than most people associate with cacti. They are also not full-sun plants, but especially during the summer months of strong sun, they appreciate some daytime shade. Older plants will frequently produce flowers in yellow, red, orange, or pink, depending on the species.
